seancarless1: it's
entire history is dealing with the shortcomings of combining the two

MMelchor1974: No,
they don't. And the problem is that many Churches have tried to intervene anyway and the politicians are more than happy to
let them so long as the masses fall in line with what they want.

seancarless1: It's
really an America divided right now

seancarless1: a lot
of alienation going on

MMelchor1974: Seems
to be a mindset of “chocolate & peanut butter” when the combination tastes more like cow dung & lizard
parts.

seancarless1: Hell,
look at that bill Bush passed on faith based donations by the Government

seancarless1: Did
you know, that NOT ONE non-Christian charity has been donated to under this bill?

MMelchor1974: Yeah
there is. Those that don't necessarily follow “the American way” (church and blowing up everything that opposes
us in the name of patriotism) are getting more vocal about what they believe is right...

seancarless1: very
true

MMelchor1974: ...and
those in power touting "the American Way" are rather upset about it.

seancarless1: I can
understand completely

seancarless1: How
does this make the Jews feel for one?

seancarless1: or the
Muslims

MMelchor1974: Of course
not. That goes against his - and “America's” – line of operating.

MMelchor1974: Buddhists

MMelchor1974: Pagans/Wiccans

seancarless1: exactly

seancarless1: there's
a lot of ground there not having it's voice heard

MMelchor1974: Hell,
pick a group that ISN'T Christian or Catholic.

seancarless1: exactly

MMelchor1974: But
they're forcing themselves to be heard now, and that's where the unrest is coming from.

Merrini23: but the he flips you over onto
you back & raps up your legs, & locks you up for the 3

MMelchor1974: VERY nice.

Merrini23: not for his opponents

MMelchor1974: Oh not at all. Pity them.

Merrini23: I don't give much of a chance
to retain his title, though

MMelchor1974: Not with what he's up against,
hell no!

Merrini23: both Dave & The Horse are
maxed on points, hen still has a way to go

Merrini23: I think Dave will win

MMelchor1974: Von Erich, correct?

Merrini23: Dude, after I maxed him out
& was playing a diff character that dude took every belt on the show, & I was not playing him, sometimes I was fighting
him, & he still took all the gold Merrini23: yes, who else

MMelchor1974: Ppfffteeeheheee..sorry, just
the way you put it...

MMelchor1974: What a monopolistic bastard!

Merrini23: lol

Merrini23: thats how I MADE HIM

MMelchor1974: WOW. Made him a little strong,
did we?

MMelchor1974: YIKES.

Merrini23: yep, too strong

Merrini23: The Messiah is holding his own
though

MMelchor1974: Good for him.

Merrini23: probably, but it's Dave My second
favorite wrestler OF ALL TIME

MMelchor1974: Aye...but still...

Merrini23: It would defeat the purpose
of having played him in season mode 3x

Merrini23: I'll just accept the fact that
I've made another monster

MMelchor1974: Well, true...

MMelchor1974: Haahahaaa

Merrini23: lol

Merrini23: yeah, he's got this 1

Merrini23: he's killing those 2

MMelchor1974: That sounds pretty bad.

Merrini23: yep

Merrini23: swings a mean chair he does

MMelchor1974: I take back what I said earlier.
THAT sounded BAD.

Merrini23: yeah, it was trust me, The champ
got laid OUT

MMelchor1974: Owch. Bleedin'?

Merrini23: I thought so

Merrini23: he never got the chance to bleed,
but The Horse Did

Merrini23: from Dave's 2nd finisher, The
Piledriver

MMelchor1974: Damn. Dude, I'm sorry...

Merrini23: jumping Piledriver

Merrini23: its all good, The Horse still
has the IC Title

MMelchor1974: Aye. Domination continues.

L8. Thanks for reading this mess. For more interesting (?)
reading, click here.

The views and opinions expressed herein are those solely of the author and may not necessarily reflect
those of the rest of the human race.

Hey hey. I know - it's been a good long while since I've done an actual
column for The Wrestling Fan. And, truth be told, this is still somewhat of a cop-out...

Once you get a good look at what's below, it may look a little familiar.
That would be because what you're about to read originally server as a VERY long introduction to the 070104 Double M SmackDown Recap on 411Wrestling. After talking with Sean somewhat, we decided to run it here as a stand-alone piece.

In keeping with that, I've decided to take the "director's cut" approach.
I may go through this and add a little more or clean it up some so that it reads a little better and helps emphasize the point
I tried to initially make about the internet's most hated WWE Champion...

...and thanks to the man in question, absolutely no one seems
to like SmackDown anymore. Everyone's decried that SmackDown has gone in the toilet and that the show - and the brand extension
itself, by proxy - are doomed, Doomed, DOOMED! Swear to God, if you've read (or contributed to) the reactions I've seen to
the Great American Bash, you'd think they murdered a live human being on national television or something!
Oh, wait...

It's gotten so bad that people have sworn off of the show in droves
(unless you're one of those "closet cases" that said they wouldn't watch, yet still want to know what happened via the recaps). And while a lot of people are up in arms about the Paul Bearer/Undertaker incident
(and even I have to agree with some of that), THAT hasn't pissed people off as much as the fact that we have a new WWE Champion.

Bradshaw has been the single most vilified wrestler this year in ANY
promotion, and now a lot of "fans" have a reason to skip the show since one of their heroes, Eddie Gurrero, lost the title
in controversial fashion. But more than that, it's who he lost it to - the guy who (according to about 85% of the IWC) can
only work so-so, has NO heat whatsoever, pisses all over internet fans any chance he gets, allegedly pumps other wrestlers up the butt in questionable "hazing" rituals, talks
and acts obnoxious in and out of character, AND who made an "offensive" gesture at a house show in Germany.

Moreso because JBL is now the Champion than any other single reason,
people have declared that they are done with SmackDown. And as viewers, that's their prerogative (although I think for Recappers to do the same is just ridiculous and bordering on irresponsible and childish). But
to state that WWE and the show are doomed as a result is simply another case of overreaction. And in this case, the reaction
isn't even an a ccurate one.

Leaving the irrational hatred behind and looking at this from a logical,
business standpoint, putting the WWE Title on Bradshaw right now may be a very smart move. And once again, since people are
too blind to see it, I'll have to play the voice of reason. To argue the point, I'll go so far as to pull direct quotes from
various Forum Boards (including the venerable 411 Forums) and offer up some counter-points (since I'm in one of THOSE moods)...

Fuck SmackDown.

Well, that one's a little too general. Let's pick out something a little
more specific...

This is what I try to explain to the "no bad heat" camp. Xpac
heat, apathy heat, that's bad heat. Heat that makes people not like the guys, but not like them to the point of not watching..it
isn't good.

Have you heard the reactions Bradshaw has gotten in every arena he's
set foot into since he turned heel? Every week, the boos and thunderous choruses of "asshole" chants get louder and louder.
And while many may used the argument that the boos are "piped in" and enhanced in post-production, the telltale sign that
Bradshaw has made his mark as a heel is not...

More than the boos and catcalls, more than the "asshole" chants, there
is one that I NEVER fail to hear in Bradshaw's presence whenever he's running his mouth in the ring. Take a good listen to
the chants of, "Ed-DIE!, Ed-DIE!, Ed-DIE!" next time Bradshaw comes out and realize that JBL has fulfilled another requirement
of being a good heel - to get (or keep) his opponent over. And it's not like Eddie needs help in that department, but it doesn't
hurt a bit that people are dying to see Gurrero pound Bradshaw's face into the ground.

Since Bradshaw turned against the fans, the reactions against him have
gotten louder and louder. No one (save for Vince, who's character has been hated nationwide since 1998) has gotten that good
of a heel response since Triple H four years ago. And if I remember correct, about that time Hunter was one of the most hated
ever - so much so that people flooded WWE's offices with letters demanding that he be stripped of the Title simply because
they didn't like him. And people are prime and ready to do the same with Bradshaw.

That's not "apathy" heat, by any means. (Isn't that a contradiction
in terms, anyway?) THAT is the mark of someone who is playing their character very well. And you can bet that the reactions
will get louder and louder so long as Bradshaw keeps playing the role correctly. And really, isn't that the point?

It's always been accepted that a heel champion is a better draw because
people want to see the bad guy get his comeuppance. And right now, who DOESN'T want to see Bradshaw catch a good beatdown?
It's worked for Ric Flair for years. It worked for Sgt. Slaughter back in 1990-1991. It's worked for Triple H for about four
years and still counting. And now it's working for Bradshaw.

The nazi salute??

Damn if that's qualifying why not have a couple of klan members win
the tag-team title

And I mean, yeah, he's a great heel, right? Cuz being racist/borderline
racist is the absolute best type of champ ever.

Here's the thing: If a character sucks so much that one has to
resort to goose stepping and nazi salutes while on tour in Germany, then just MAYBE you'd think that you're not in the position
to be the top heel in the company.

Okay, now this is going to get a little sticky. The incident in Germany
has been VERY overexaggerated. Hell, there was so much bitching that it cost Bradshaw his job at CNBC - which the IWC gladly
took credit for.

But, come on - isn't that punishment enough? Obviously not, as now the
argument is that Bradshaw has been "rewarded for racist behavior" with the WWE Title.

Incorrect. Bradshaw has been given the chance to go with the Title because
Vince is banking on his stature as one of the most hated men on the roster in the eyes of the fans. And the "racist" behavior
is one of the reasons he's that hated. Like anyone else on that show, Bradshaw is playing a character. Yet people seem to
think that, in real life, Bradshaw patrols every Taco Bell he can find looking for people to toss back across the Border.

Blurring the lines of what's on television and what a person (that none
of these detractors have met in person and therefore can't really make a qualified statement on the man's actual personality)
is really not an acceptable argument for why he shouldn't be the champion. Acceptable arguments would include the fact that
he might not draw the heat befitting the main event picture - which is wrong. Or the fact that no one knows who he is - which
is wrong. Or the fact that he can't draw people to the shows - which hasn't been proven and won't be for a couple weeks yet.

Outside of all of this, there's a particular thread on the 411 Forum boards that seems to contradict the entire argument of how "offended" everyone was at the
Germany incident. People are straight LAUGHING about this video. No, seriously. Go read the thread. I'll wait...

...

...

Now, riddle me this, Batman - it was THAT "offensive", then why do the
same people that cried for Bradshaw's head on a stick find the video of the actual incident so damned funny? And Bradshaw
didn't even have to resort to those tactics, as some claim he did. He was already hated before he set foot in Germany; he
merely saw an opportunity to get his character over as a heel, and he took it (in dare I say brilliant fashion).

...I've seen no one else who has some new interest in SD now. I'm sure
they've alienated some of their latino fanbase with this move. I also think that it's possible they'll pick up fans, but from
what group? If it's people who agree with Bradshaw, does that actually help the WWE in the long run? (in terms of image and
overall fanbase).

But seriously, the problem in Bradshaw winning is the type of
message it sends out. If he were more in the style of Dibiase, and less in the style of a racist (a LOT less) then I'd have
somewhat less issue (he'd still suck in my eyes). It's the message they're sending out by having a character who is borderline
(if not more than borderline) racist.

I doubt the Latino demographic is THAT offended. They're smart enough
to also realize that this is all for show. And besides, how many MORE might tune in JUST to see him get his ass kicked? And
Latinos may not be the only new fans they pick up.

This may become an example of what I like to call "The Eminem Syndrome".
Half of his audience came from people that wanted to hear just how offensive he could be. It's like the proverbial car wreck
- yeah, it may disgust you, but you're going to look because you're curious. The same theory applies to those of you who ever
watched an episode of "Jerry Springer" (and how many of you HAVEN'T?), and the same applies to one John Bradshaw Layfield.

Bradshaw's character has taken off in a big way because of how much
people hate him. And people hate him because of some inflammatory things that have come out of the character's mouth. And
yes, those same people are smart enough to be able to tell the difference between character and person. Unlike someone who's
"smart", who can't seem to do that.

Someone who is actually smart enough to see it is Vince McMahon...

Because Vince is an arrogant, mindless fool who continues to insist
that we don't know any better and who could give a crap less about the well-being of the company's B show. Guess what, Vince?
You've lost another SD viewer - namely, me. I was willing to tolerate the Kenzo/Mordecai stuff, but when you actively reward
both stupidity and arrogance while giving the brush-off to talent and hard work, I do as Scott Keith was smart enough to do
and vote with my remote.

Vince McMahon has been doing this for more than 20 years. In that time,
he took a regional promotion and made it a worldwide corporation that brings in millions of dollars a year. Obviously, he
has no idea what he's doing.

TRUST me, Vince knows what he's doing a LOT better than some fans who
think they know it all. It has nothing to do with "rewarding stupidity and arrogance" and everything to do with striking while
the iron is hot.

Wrestling fans hate Bradshaw because his character acts like he's better
than all of us - a tried-and-true staple of any heel. In addition, there's a group of people, again, who may have heard about
the firing from CNBC and decide to tune in to SmackDown JUST to see what this guy's all about. Between attracting curious
onlookers (ala the aforementioned "Eminem Syndrome") and the fans that are watching now and want desperately to see Bradshaw
lose, that's money in the bank.

And THAT'S the entire crux of the Bradshaw experiment - to see if he
can draw a larger audience. And if you're not interested in drawing a larger audience, then why the hell should you be promoting
to begin with?

But that CAN'T be right because, again, Vince has no idea what he's
doing. And comparing that man's knowledge to that of an internet writer is too ridiculous to even comment on.

Even still, JBL's name goes into the books as champion, which
is something to think about the next time that the "let's see how this turns out before you criticize it" crowd tries to apologize
for WWE's retarded booking.

You mean, like Eugene - the guy that everybody moaned about who's since
become the hottest character on Raw?

And at the same time having one of your top faces in Eddie Guerrero
lose two straight PPV matches to f'n Bradshaw, thus hurting him at the same time.

How do the losses make Eddie look bad at all? The first was via disqualification
when Eddie used the belt after losing his "Latino temper" (a staple of his character) and enough blood to require hospitalization.
The second decision was overturned on a technicality by the General Manager of the show - who can't stand Eddie Gurrero and
had the power to make his life miserable by taking the Title away from him. If Eddie had lost cleanly either time, THEN I
could buy that argument.

I could go on with this for days, but I think the argument is pretty
clear. The whole point here is that Vince knew exactly what he was doing when he made this decision, just like he has several
times before. And not all of his "brilliant moves" has worked - and who knows? This one may not, either. But sitting back
and not taking the chance has not been the strategy Vince has used to turn his small Northwest promotion into a global corporation.

Bradshaw is a hot character right now, in AND out of the ring. It'd
be stupid NOT to take advantage of that. Good or bad, any press is good press - and McMahon and Bradshaw both know that. Before
deciding to whine and cry about boycotting a show just because you don't like the champion and getting everyone else riled
up in the process, take a look at it from another point of view. The one that involves money and, as an extension, the good
of the company.

As for my personal opinion on the man? I'm not a big fan of Bradshaw
by any stretch of the imagination. Truth be told, I'm not really a fan at all. Ideally, I would have liked to have seen Booker
T go after the WWE Title and Bradshaw chase who I feel would be a more natural enemy and a more natural championship - John
Cena and the US Title.

However, I will admit that Bradshaw has improved a hell of a lot since
going solo - in the ring AND out. For "research", I decided to sit through another viewing of the main event of Judgment Day
(which I now own, thanks again to Grimmy Acosta). Bradshaw's performance was excellent - from the opening promo running down
everybody to the in-ring selling and offense (just like a classic coward heel). I've seen better, mind you...but I've also
seen worse. And based on that, I'm willing to give him more of a chance than apparently everyone else is.

With Christmas just around the corner, what better way to spend your few remaining dollars (left over after the seemingly infinite line-up of fucking pay-per-views ) then on the following "quality WWE merchandise!" After all, if they don't move this stuff, and fast, stockholders just might get time to figure out what "plummeting domestic buyrates" means!... and well, I don't think they need to tell you what that means! (Seriously. They're not telling you. Everything is fine! Ahem.).